Djinni in a Bottle
by Daemonchan
Summary: Duo is a djinn who's been trapped for a few millenia. When Heero frees him, three wishes wreak havoc with his once normal life. shounen ai
1. Part One

* * *

Djinni in a Bottle

A Gundam Wing Fan Fiction

By Daemonchan

* * *

**_Part One_**

Heero Yuy watched the girl out of the corner of his eye. She moved with the grace of the noble-born, a diplomat who had the manners and style to charm anyone on the planet, or the colonies. It was to this girl that the human race owed their peace.

She smiled at Heero shyly, aware of his not-so-secret glances. Relena Peacecraft was used to his observations, taking them in stride with her new and hard won role as Queen of the World.

Relena was also aware of his love for her. She was flattered, but she did not return the affection. Not that Heero wasn't handsome. He was thin but incredibly muscular. He had moss brown hair that was always wind blown and messy and the most intense cobalt blue eyes that she had ever seen. No, he was incredibly desirable.

She did not love him for the fact that he was a soldier. And not just any soldier.

A Gundam Pilot.

The entire planet owed much to this boy for his extraordinary bravery. Relena acknowledged that fact, and accepted the things he'd had to do.

He was a killer.

She could not get over it. Every time she saw him it was like the souls of the dead followed after him. She'd often had nightmares of him covered in blood...and liking it. Heero was a born killer, programmed for the war to do whatever was necessary for the mission.

Relena was terrified of him. Deep in her soul she knew that he could kill again, for any reason. He was unnatural.

At the same time she found that she genuinely liked his personality, what he had of one anyway. He was quiet and withdrawn but when he chose to talk it was very intelligent and thoughtful. Relena found him comforting to talk about affairs of state with. His military training helped her head off any conflicts without bloodshed.

Heero stared into her blue eyes. At some very elemental level, he knew that Relena was scared, not of him, but what he had done and what he _could_ do, if forced to do so again. The war was over...but that didn't make him any less of a soldier.

On the surface, he ignored it. He lived in a world where he could finally have a normal life, be just an ordinary guy with his friends and fellow pilots, Trowa and Quatre. He wished with all his heart that Relena would be a part of his life too.

He broke the silence by clearing his throat. "I should go, Your Majesty. I need to meet up with Trowa and Quatre."

Heero had walked Relena to the wrought gates of her manor house. The huge white mansion lay just beyond, nestled in the middle of a field of well-manicured lawns and landscaped hedges. It was also the most heavily fortified structure on the face of the planet. They may be at peace but that was no reason to take unnecessary risks with Relena's life. There were still those who rather see the Queen of the World dead.

Relena smiled graciously. "I thank you, Heero. Will I see you for brunch tomorrow? I would like to see Trowa and Quatre as well."

Heero nodded, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his blue pants. He longed to touch her, to kiss her, to say something that would change her mind about how she felt about him. Instead he turned away, quickly walking back down the gravel path they had just come up.

Heero berated himself. "Baka. How will she ever love you if you can't say more than two words to her at a time?"

The tall Japanese boy was so absorbed in his guilt that he never noticed that he had stepped from the path and was headed down what was little more than a deer track through the trees. The forest around him was teeming with life, birds and animals going about their simple lives in the undergrowth.

Suddenly, he stumbled, his foot catching on a root that hooked dangerously from the dirt. He fell face first, something digging painfully into his ribs. It was a moment before he caught his breath again, reaching first for the object that was stabbing into his lower abdomen.

It was a figure of a person, a boy, sculpted from what seemed to be obsidian. The carving was exquisite. Heero could make out even the tiniest details. The boy had a scythe in one arm and a long braid draped over the other. He was dressed in what appeared to be only loose pants bound at the ankle and waist and a vest that exposed a muscular chest.

"Beautiful," Heero whispered in awe. He wondered if the figure had been a real person at one time. "I wish I could have seen you..."

"Granted."

Heero whipped around, staring in shock at the sculpture brought to life. The boy was bathed in a strange gold cloud, his body slowly materializing from the mist. He was tall and lithe, his athletic body clothed in pants and vest of filmy black silk. Silver bells were wound about his waist, wrists and ankles, ringing softly. His incredibly long hair was a golden brown, bound in a single braid that reached almost to his knees. Across his head was a headpiece of what looked like fine chain mail, dipping to a triangular pinnacle in the center of his forehead. The ends were lost in the mass of hair at his temples.

Heero had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life. His mouth worked silently, trying to form words to express his shock. The boy smiled, his brilliant blue-violet eyes staring into Heero's dark ones.

"Hi. I'm Duo. Your djinn."

On to Part Two 


	2. Part Two

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Djinni in a Bottle

A Gundam Wing Fan Fiction

By Daemonchan

* * *

**_Part Two_**

"Hi. I'm Duo. Your djinn."

Heero's eyebrow nearly buried itself in his hair. "Genie. Right."

The pale youth shook his head, extending a hand to the Japanese pilot who still stared up at him in amazement. "Nope. I'm a djinn. D-J-I-N-N. Djinni are girls."

Heero took the offered hand, struck by how soft the palm felt. He looked up into the other boy's deep violets, and a shock passed through his body. The shock of connection...

"Hey, buddy. You gotta name?"

With a quick push, Heero brought himself to his feet, brushing the dirt from his clothes. "Yuy. Heero Yuy." He turned from the djinn, afraid of losing himself in the boy's eyes again. His action brought a snort from Duo.

"Don't go anywhere just yet, Yuy-sama. We've got some terms and policies to discuss."

"Nani..."

The word had barely left Heero's mouth before he found himself standing in the middle of his living room, staring down at a djinn who had made himself quite at home on the sofa. He fell back, not even noticing the chair had sort of scooted itself under him, saving him from a tumble. Duo smiled and leaned forward, silver bells jingling softly.

"Now the legalities." He held up three fingers, lowering the first one. "Three wishes. No more, no less. Figure you're pretty familiar with this bit so we'll move on." He ticked off the second finger. "You can't wish anything out of existence. It isn't possible and the entire universe would probably be destroyed if you did. You _can_ wish it to dust or microscopic particles, but that's about it."

Heero thought about the second proviso, seeing how tempted people could be to wish someone out of existence. The magic would have to erase them from time, and thousands of memories...and the universe would disappear into the cloud of dust it came from...

Duo realized that his master's eyes had gotten glassy as he contemplated what it meant to ënot exist'. He whistled to regain the other boys' attention. "Third: think your wishes through really, _really_, carefully. _I_ may know what you're asking for but the magic won't. Sometimes ill-phrased wishes get kinda...messy."

Heero could only imagine what the djinn meant by messy. It would be hard to word his wishes; it was so easy to think that the magic was intelligent...

_Wait! Magic? Djinni?_

The Japanese pilot stood sharply, his disbelief finally catching up to him. Here he was thinking this nut case was really a genie...no, a djinn who would grant him anything he wanted. He must have hit his head or something in the forest. Maybe he was still there, unconscious, and having a wacked out dream.

Duo could see Heero's tense figure, bracing himself for the barrage of questions that always followed when his masters had time to think about what he told them.

"You're gonna need proof right? Some kind of magic to prove that I'm not just some mental patient who's taken a shine to you?"

Heero nodded curtly. Duo stood from his seat, violet eyes closing slowly as he prepared his spell. Mist surrounded his body, slowly creeping across the floor to surround Heero as well. He bit back a gasp of surprise, letting the comfortable warmth flow around his limbs. He watched through the haze as his living room melted away and he found himself staring at a marble palace. Hot desert air blew through the huge arched windows and noontime sun reflected blindingly against the white stone.

Duo threw an arm over Heero's shoulder, gesturing broadly with his free hand. "Home sweet home."

At that moment, a group of djinni flew...yes, flew past the open arches, giggling prettily and waving. Duo sighed and waved back, urging Heero to do the same. Heero's left cheek began twitching and he was on the verge of breaking into hysterical laughter. Duo recognized the signs of overload and waved a hand in front of Heero's eyes.

Then suddenly the vision was gone and Heero was left staring at his ordinary living room walls again. It was a moment before he caught his breath.

"Holy shit."

~*~*~*~

Hours later found the two discussing desires and possible wishes on the back balcony, staring into the dusty sunset. Duo lounged in the wooden adirondack chair, one leg thrown over the side, his hands running through the end of his braid. Heero had turned his chair slightly away from the djinn, mostly because he was uncomfortable with the way his body was responding to the other's graceful movements.

_How could anyone be so beautif..._ Heero caught himself mid-thought. He tried to replace his daydream of the ethereal djinn with his fantasy of Relena. Duo's image easily overpowered her, almost physically knocking her back into the inner recesses of his imagination.

"Lot's of people want wealth. You know, they want to try and see if money really _can _buy you happiness..."

Heero leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "Ne, Duo? What it's like?"

Duo didn't even seem to be phased by the interruption. He took the question in stride, smiling as he looked up into the rapidly brightening stars. "The magic?"

Heero turned to regard the djinn with somber cobalt eyes. "No. The immortality."

That got the djinn's attention. Heero saw the smile falter for a moment, before it returned with stunning clarity. "Long. Interesting at times. Boring most." The smile disappeared in a flash of bitter memory. "Lonely."

Heero was suddenly sorry that he had asked. Fortunately, Duo shook the question off and continued on with his ideas on the perfect wish.

The chestnut haired djinn chatted endlessly next to him, musical voice lulling him into a slight doze. The ring of the doorbell brought him back.

Before he even had a chance to move, the door swung open, admitting a surprised Relena into the small apartment. Heero swore under his breath, searching the balcony for a place to hide Duo. Duo saw his trapped look and laughed.

"What on earth is your problem? She can't see me if I don't want her to."

Heero almost slapped himself on the head. Instead he turned and walked to the door, inviting Relena inside.

Relena shook her blonde head. "I really can't stay, Heero, but I wanted to stop by and tell you that there is a diplomatic function tomorrow night and I would like you to be there."

Heero's heart leapt. He was going to a ball? With Relena?

"I convinced my father that you would make the best bodyguard..."

_Oh, right. Bodyguard._ The excitement drained from his body, leaving him to deal with unfamiliar disappointment. He nodded numbly to whatever else the girl said, feeling all the more crushed when she didn't even realize the effect her words had on him.

"Well, goodnight, Heero."

The Japanese pilot muttered his farewell and shut the door gently. He looked to his right as Duo materialized, leaning thoughtfully against the doorjamb.

"Doesn't take a djinn to see that you've got the hots for her."

Heero said nothing as he stalked away from the amused creature, finally slamming his bedroom door. Duo shook his head. Extending his awareness, he realized that the boy had fallen asleep without undressing. With inhuman stealth, he entered Heero's room.

The room was almost painfully simple, a very narrow cot-like bed with Heero's slender frame draped across it. There was nothing on the stark walls, not a picture, no furniture, nada. There was a tiny window on the furthest wall, covered by a very sad looking curtain.

Duo clucked in disapproval. How his Master could stand to live like this...

He snapped his fingers, humming softly as the magic worked its way through the room. Soon he was satisfied and knew that Heero would appreciate the redecorating. With that thought happily in mind, he dissolved into gold mist and reformed into the magical area contained within the obsidian sculpture that Heero still carried in his pocket, lulled into slumber by the Japanese boy's warmth and closeness.

  


On to Part Three 


	3. Part Three

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Djinni in a Bottle

A Gundam Wing Fan Fiction

By Daemonchan

* * *

**_Part Three_**

Sunlight streamed onto Heero's prone body, warming him uncomfortably beneath his blankets. He struggled from underneath the comforter, rubbing his eyes roughly. He looked at the clock on the shelf next to his bed, sighing as he realized how late it was. He saw that his door was slightly ajar and the smell of food was wafting down the hallway.

He stood carefully, stretching languidly. With a determined tug, he put his pajama bottoms back into place and strode out into the living area.

Heero had just reached the end of the hall when he stopped in shock. He looked down at himself, suddenly realizing that he was dressed in burgundy silk pajamas. He dashed back to his room, jaw dropping as he saw that it was now twice as large as it had been when he went to bed the night before.

A huge four-posted bed rested in the middle of the huge room, heaped with comforters and down pillows. Gauzy draperies flowed from the posts to the floor, fluttering slightly in the breeze from the open sliding door that had materialized where the tiny window used to be. Pictures covered walls that had been colored a very warm and attractive green.

The stunned boy walked over to the huge desk resting in an alcove that couldn't possibly exist. His laptop sat on the mahogany surface, as well as important papers that had once been littered across his living room. As he turned from the desk, he glanced out the glass door onto a huge balcony.

He blinked a couple of times, then pinched himself. Hard. The small bruise forming on his arm cemented the fact that he was _not_ dreaming.

Beyond the balcony was a long stretch of blonde sand that touched pristine blue waters that you only found in the Caribbean. Palm trees close enough to touch stood guard at either side. Heero could smell the salt on the breeze as it swirled around the room.

Finished with his examination of what had once been a bare cell, he headed back out to the kitchen, determined to shake some answers from his djinn-gone-interior-decorator.

A cheery djinn greeted him from behind a long kitchen island that had appeared overnight as well. "Ohayou, Heero-san! Tabemashyou ka?"

Heero ignored the changes to his apartment...which had become larger and had another room added on beyond the kitchen...as he listened to the djinn greet him in perfectly accented Japanese. He hadn't really spoken his native language since the war; most of the people he worked with now spoke only English.

He waved awkwardly. "Ohayou, Duo-san. Food sounds good right now."

"Take a seat then."

Heero whipped around in surprise as he found Duo standing behind him, placing a plate heaped with eggs and bacon on a glass-topped table. All this popping around was beginning to give him a migraine. A sudden thought stuck him as he lowered himself into the comfortable chair.

"This isn't part of my wish is it?"

Duo walked from the table this time, his form seductive in the revealing djinn outfit. His braid swayed across the firm buttocks as he shook his head, silver bells peeling softly.

"Nope. This is personal magic. It's a temporary reality. I can change my environment to suit my needs." He stopped to bend over at some imagined crumb on the thick carpet. Heero had the uneasy feeling that Duo knew that he was watching...v

Duo popped back up behind the island, toast floating in a ring about his body. "You can make it permanent though. Just wish it and it's yours."

The djinn reappeared in the chair next to Heero's. Heero found the more Duo did it, the less it seemed to bother him. He was getting used to carrying on a conversation from several points in the room.

"Won't people, um...notice?"

Duo paused mid-mouthful. "Nuh-uh. Da boor is a mordal." He made a face and swallowed. Heero felt an unfamiliar grin creeping across his lips. "Sumimasen. Anyway, people won't notice because I didn't change the actual shape of the building. Your door is a portal. It opens up into a different reality."

"Oh."

Breakfast was filled with more idle chat, mostly from Duo's side of the table. The djinn never stopped talking. Of course, he had centuries of stories to share, and he enjoyed having a Master who seemed to want to hear them. And Heero had even come out of the dour shell he enjoyed hiding in. He laughed at times and Duo could tell that the smile was etching itself in his features.

"Well, Gregor was my last Master and I haven't had one since...oh, about seventeen hundred and something."

The impact of how much time had passed hit Heero.Over three hundred years, trapped...

"Oi, Heero? You in there?"

Heero nodded. Duo had obviously adjusted well to the years between Masters, his sense of humor never wavering. He was about to clear up his dishes when they disappeared from beneath his hands. Duo merely smiled as his own plate followed suit. "Hey, personal magic has its benefits."

That ëpersonal magic' did indeed come in handy, as Heero hadn't even risen from his chair before he found himself dressed in his usual green top and black spandex bottoms. His unruly hair had fixed itself as well.

Suddenly Duo was standing at the door, impatient for Heero to join him. "C'mon!"

"Where are we going?" Heero asked as he walked towards the djinn.

"Shopping of course! We're gonna need tuxes for that party at Relena's tonight."

"But can't you just...you know, magic us up some suits?"

Duo rolled his eyes as if the answer were obvious. "Of course I could, silly, but what fun is there in that?"

So the djinn had a weakness for shopping. It was a vice he'd picked up somewhere in Egypt more centuries ago than he cared to count. Still, it wouldn't hurt Heero's wardrobe much to have his touch. God, his new Master had no taste for anything beyond firearms.

Heero did not move, his cobalt eyes studying the djinn critically. "You can't go out in public like that."

Duo managed to look shocked. Heero had forgotten that other mortals beyond his own Master couldn't see Duo if he didn't want them too. Still, it made Duo feel good that Heero didn't mind being seen with him.

"What's wrong with it?"

He modeled the revealing outfit, turning seductively. Heero felt his mouth go dry and swallowed hard, trying to work up a response.

"For...for starters, you're half naked. Second, you're a few thousand years too late for the Arabian Nights."

Duo looked down at himself with a pout, pulling at the black silk. With an evil grin, his clothes dissolved into translucent mist, leaving nothing to Heero's imagination. The Japanese boy merely favored the djinn with a sigh and rolled his eyes.

Duo imitated Heero's sigh. "You're no fun." The mist solidified about his lithe body, forming into a long sleeved black shirt and slacks, a leather jacket slung over one shoulder.

Heero smiled his appreciation, mentally shaking away the images of a naked Duo lying on his bed...

"Hey, Duo, what's up with the black?"

The djinn looked down at the floor, the question draining all humor from his frame. Heero was shocked at the sudden change of mood and instantly sorry the words had ever passed his lips. "Penance." With that he was out the door, leaving Heero in dumbfounded silence.

~*~*~*~

"Oi, Heero! Over here!"

Heero looked over the top of the mountain of boxes he had somehow been suckered into carrying even though he knew the djinn was perfectly capable of carrying his own stuff. He grimaced as he tried to free a hand and wave back, but fortunately Duo did it for him.

It was Quatre and Trowa sitting at a bench that had been erected around a tree. Heero gratefully dropped his burden onto the wooden slats, collapsing next to it. His Arabian friend eyed the pile quizzically while Trowa studied the braided boy that hovered at Heero's side.

He seemed harmless enough, with fair skin and blue-violet eyes. He carried himself strangely though, like someone far older than he seemed. It disturbed Trowa a little until he saw the disarming smile. He felt the corners of his own mouth tug in response. The boy's happiness was contagious.

Duo smiled as Trowa's gaze slid from his own. Part of a djinn's natural magic was to seem harmless and also to be immediately forgettable. It helped when he only stuck around for three wishes.

Quatre on the other hand was the opposite from his companion. His personality was even more outgoing than Duo's. He stood and shook Duo's hand vigorously. "It's very nice to meet you, Duo. I'm Quatre Winner and this is our friend Trowa Barton."

"Nice ta meet ya."

Quatre turned to Heero. "We missed you yesterday afternoon. And brunch. Relena was wondering where you were."

Heero seemed to perk a little at the mention of Relena's name. "Really?" Then he seemed to realize something and he fell back again, an arm across his eyes. Quatre sighed in sympathy. He knew Heero's true feelings for Relena and it hurt him to see his friend suffer so.

Suddenly, Heero grabbed Duo's arm, pulling to surprised boy down to whisper in his ear. Duo seemed to consider something for a moment before returning a reply. The answer seemed to satisfy Heero as he stood as if a fire had just been lit under him.

"We'll see you guys later, at the dinner. There's something Duo and I need to...take care of before then."

Heero practically ran from his friends, the braided djinn keeping easy steps at his side.

_If you wish it, it shall be._

Those were Duo's words, his response to Heero's only desire. Heero felt his chest tighten at the thought that Relena could be his with only a few spoken syllables. Could it really be that easy? He would have to think about how to phrase his wish...and if it was something he had any right to wish for in the first place.

~*~*~*~

Almond eyes watched the two boys as they walked quickly past him. The figure smiled cruelly.

"Duo...otouto."

The dark haired boy was clearly Duo's newest Master. He was famous from the war with OZ. Lucky him. The fact that Duo had somehow gotten a war hero as his master only fueled the figure's anger. His brother deserved nothing but the revenge that he had been planning so carefully for over a thousand years.

"See you at the party."

~*~*~*~

tabemashyou ka- Let's eat, shall we?

Otouto- little brother

On to Part Four 


	4. Part Four

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Djinni in a Bottle

A Gundam Wing Fan Fiction

By Daemonchan

* * *

**_Part Four_**

Even though he had not created the tuxes from magic, Duo did decide that perhaps a stretched limousine was not out of the question. Heero was certainly getting used to having a djinn around. He didn't even blink as he entered the leather interior of the vehicle that had just appeared at the doorstep to his meager apartment building.

Of course, that could have been because he was scared stiff after his little "discussion" on the finer points of wishing with Duo.

Duo left his Master to his thoughts the entire way to Relena's manor house. He had told Heero what to expect if he went through with his desires, everything from a bliss filled life with the Queen of the World, to a total reversal of feeling. The magic was not sentient. It often screwed things up. Djinn were there to guide it better, but they weren't perfect either.

Soon Duo was guiding a still silent Gundam pilot from the car, leading the boy with a gentle hand on his elbow. Heero seemed to be operating on auto; his hand waved to familiar faces but Duo could see that his mind was elsewhere.

On a certain blonde haired Queen of the World.

They were gathered in the marble foyer when they met up with Quatre and Trowa, both impeccably dressed in tails. Trowa seemed to wear the mask of honored guest as well as he wore his Gundam pilot persona. Quatre of course had been wearing formal clothes since he was a child, the youngest of all the Winner children.

Duo slapped Heero's hand away as it attempted to readjust the pilot's bowtie for the umpteenth time since they'd entered the great manor house. They were being escorted under the glittering chandelier, Quatre and Trowa following close behind, carefully threading their way through the crush of black-tied dignitaries and their glittering dates.

The djinn caught his reflection in a floor length mirror set at the end of the marble staircase that led into the rest of the house. He winked at himself, proud at his and his Master's appearance. Duo often tended toward flashy when he dressed, even in plain black, but tonight he had left his little ropes of silver bells and chain mail at home. With a little quick talking and assurances that it was Relena's favorite color, Duo got Heero to wear a bowtie and cumberbun of blue violet. Mention of the blonde girl's name had ended all protest.

At the entrance to the ballroom, they were escorted to a long table and seat on either side of a huge carved chair that was obviously reserved for the lady of the hour. No one seemed to notice that there were four people sitting in seats reserved for only three Gundam pilots.

A fanfare of trumpets announced Relena's arrival. She stood at the door for a moment, smiling graciously. She wore a form fitting gown of the same color as Heero's accents, and her hair was captured in strings of pearls. Duo had to admit that she was striking. For a girl.

He glanced at Heero, smiling gently as he noticed the poor attempt to hide nervousness beneath his usual emotionless faÁade. Duo laid a calming hand on his arm.

"No worries."

The words belied Duo's own misgivings about the impending wish. His magic was strange when it came to human emotion. Over the millennia he had had wishes for love turn out perfectly for all parties involved, but some had gone south in a hurry. That was where _messy_ stepped in.

He often found that wishes for love tended to go wrong more if he himself had feelings involved, either for his Master, or the object of his Master's affection.

It was the fact that he was sure he was falling in love with the stoic Japanese pilot that put a lump of fear in his heart.

Still, he had known this wish was coming. He could see into Heero's heart of hearts, knew desires that Heero himself had probably taken great pains to hide. After getting home from shopping, he had made a feeble attempt to change Heero's mind. Feeble as in arguing with a determined Heero Yuy was like picking a fight with a statue.

At least the statue would have lost its temper after listening to Duo's hour long list of reason against making that particular wish.

Every reason from it causing the polar ice caps to melt to spontaneous combustion of household pets...everything but admitting that he _knew_ the wish would go wrong...

Because he loved the Perfect Soldier.

Duo groaned and stood up. "That's it! We dance!"

Duo didn't know if he was shocked when Heero allowed himself to be pulled onto the dance floor, his eyes never leaving the shining queen. The djinn reached up and gently licked the Japanese's ear with a moist tongue.

Heero whipped around in shock and...something Duo couldn't quite read. "Now that you have my attention..."

Duo continued the dance, holding the cobalt eyes with his own. Heero found himself drowning in the violet depths of the djinn's orbs, just as he had the first time he had met the magical creature in the woods. The sense of connection returned with a vengeance, covering Heero's vision with a fog that covered everything but the shining boy in front of him.

The djinn could see it happening, could see Heero losing himself in a happiness he wasn't even aware of. And as much as Duo wanted to let him continue to fall, his heart wanted his Master to be happy. And if happiness lay with....Relena...then Duo had no right to interfere.

"Are you ready?"

Heero nodded numbly, smiling at the boy before him. He wanted to stay like this forever...

"Say the words..."

_Words?_ Heero felt the tingling of a memory cut through the haze. _If you so wish it, it will be done..._

His lips moved of their own volition. "I wish for Relena to fall in love with me."

_Granted._

Heero suddenly found himself in Relena's arms, the last of the magic dissipating in a thin cloud of gold as they moved to the music. Relena stared into Heero's eyes, her light blues adoring the man who was the center of her universe. Heero couldn't tear his gaze away. He had only dreamed of Relena looking at him in that way...

Had only wished...

~*~*~*~

Duo sighed as he watched Heero continue to dance with Relena. The djinn had retired to a table at the edge of the dance floor, Quatre and Trowa joining him. They had no idea that their reality had just been warped to fit Heero's desire; to them, it was as if Heero and Relena had always been together, always been in love.

Quatre turned at the sound, studying his new friend with concern. "Are you all right, Duo?"

The djinn was brought out of his funk by the soft words. "Yeah. Just a little sad I guess."

The Arabian nodded knowingly. "As much as Heero and Relena love each other, I just don't think they're...right."

The observation shocked Duo. He had been thinking the same thing...but for much more selfish reasons. He wanted Heero for himself, not some selfish little girl who had to be enchanted in order to see what a wonderful person Heero could be, the person beyond the soldier.

The blonde boy smiled. "Be patient."

Was the boy psychic or something? Could he see the feelings he was harboring for Heero?

Duo shrugged and continued his vigil, wishing for a djinn of his own to carry out some exquisite tortures on one Queen of the World...

~*~*~*~

The dark figure lurked in the shadows behind the great columns that supported the arched ceiling of the ballroom. His dark eyes searched the dancers as they whirled past, his meager magic searching for the perfect tool with which to exact his revenge.

A girl detached herself from the crowd, her eyes dull as she answered the magic's call. Her insanely long blonde hair was pushed back from her forehead by a simple headband, making the huge gray eyebrows all the more prominent.

The once-djinn shook his head. Duo always attracted the beautiful people; _he_ got the ugly ones that came with a stunning variety of mental illnesses as well.

The girl stopped just in front of him, allowing him to study her with his powers. This particular candidate for the rubber room had a streak of cruelty in her that rivaled his own, and a desire to see the Queen of the World, if not humiliated to the point where she could no longer be seen in public, then at least dead.

He could get to like this girl.

She curtsied. "Dorothy Catalonia."

The shadow smiled evilly, stepping forward to take her hand. "Wufei Chang. Pleasure."

Ý

On to Part FiveÝ


	5. Part Five

* * *

Djinni in a Bottle

A Gundam Wing Fan Fiction

By Daemonchan

* * *

**_Part Five_**

Wufei shuddered with distaste as he glanced about the interior to Dorothy's apartment. The strange girl had a fetish for anything pink, including what looked like a fuzzy couch. Still, he wasn't here for her bad taste in furniture.

Dorothy sat on the pink couch, staring at Wufei hungrily. She wasn't sure that she believed everything the man had told her on the way over...he had said that he used to be a djinn at one point...But he was attractive. He looked Chinese, with deep eyes the same color as he ebony hair. He wore plain white clothing of an Oriental cut as well. Dorothy was sure that if she could just get him to sit next to her, she could tempt him into something other than a business arrangement like they had discussed...

"How would you like to have Shinigami at your command?"

Dorothy laughed. "The God of Death? Are you crazy?"

Wufei's penetrating look sent shivers through Dorothy's body. "No. You see, the God of Death isn't a god at all."

Dorothy returned a smile chillier than Wufei's own. "Do tell."

~*~*~*~

Duo sighed as he materialized in Heero's apartment, shedding the restricting tux for his more comfortable silks. After hours of watching Relena make cow eyes at his Master, the djinn had decided that it would be infinitely better to go home and mope rather than to gag on the sweetness of the scene any longer.

"Oh, Heero! You're so wonderful. I love you!" Duo imitated the high pitched praises of the enchanted girl, fluttering his eyelashes. "Feh! Gag me with a spoon!"

Duo fell out of his parody as he heard a key turning in the lock. A disheveled Heero stumbled through the door, barely making it to the couch before collapsing.

Duo was at his side instantly, pushing his Master the rest of the way onto the cushions. The Japanese boy mumbled thanks and dropped off to sleep.

Well, that just great. Not even a "Thanks for making my life a wonderful paradise, Duo." 

Snapping his fingers, they disappeared from the living room, reappearing on Heero's bed. The djinn pulled the comforter up around Heero's sleeping form.

Impulsively, Duo leaned down to kiss Heero's forehead, brushing his long fingers through the tangles of brown hair. Without further thought, he snuggled down next to the Japanese boy and was soon asleep.

~*~*~*~

Heero woke the find his arms wrapped tightly about Duo's thin frame, his nose buried in the wealth of chestnut hair. He moved slightly, bringing the djinn closer. He was surprised to find that the boy smelled of the desert, and lilacs. He thought how wonderful it would be to wake up like this for the rest of his life...It was another moment before the memory of the previous evening returned.

The Japanese pilot suppressed a groan. What in the hell had he been thinking??

He had been happy last night, but he come to realize that it was only because he was still imagining Duo in his arms while Relena stared at him with a slightly empty expression. He had the girl he loved adoring him without question and the only thing he had wanted was to feel the djinn's soft skin against his own.

He couldn't tell Duo that he didn't enjoy his wish. Somewhere deep in his heart, he knew that it had hurt Duo terribly to grant it, but he had because Heero had asked him. But his mind refused to admit it. He was in love with Relena. He had to just be imagining things. Things would be fine...

_Keep telling yourself that, Yuy, and maybe someday, you'll believe it._

Still, he refused to give in. He would try to work it out with her later. Now to the matter of freeing his trapped arm from under Duo's shoulders...

~*~*~*~

Dorothy was quiet as she digested Wufei's tale. It was too fantastic to be true and yet somehow she knew, as dangerous as this boy was, he was also telling the absolute truth.

"That boy. The boy with Yuy. He was the Shinigami?"

Wufei changed his cold manner as he realized that Dorothy had come under his sway completely. "Oh yes. One of his Masters was quite a clever bastard." The evil smile returned. "Of course, he had a little assistance from a jealous older brother."

"Of course," Dorothy agreed dryly. Her head was filled with visions of power, absolute control over her enemies. Relena Peacecraft would be made to kneel at her feet and the Gundam pilots would be struck down. Everything that her cousin Treize had fought to bring about...she would rule the world.

And perhaps Duo could me made to do what Wufei would not...she wondered if the djinn would make a better lover...

Some part of Dorothy was still wary. "And all you want from this..."

Wufei knelt in front of her, his eyes alight with angry fire. "Duo's utter domination." He stood again, adding almost as an afterthought, "And his death of course."

He reached into the neck of his shirt, pulling out a heavy gold medallion. Dorothy stood to look at it, her nimble fingers tracing the molded image of a naked boy. A lock of chestnut hair had been melted into the face as well. She oohed over the exquisite workmanship. It was a perfect image of Duo.

"This is the Orix. This is what my Master wished for to control a djinn." Dorothy caught the bitterness in Wufei's voice. Apparently, he had been under the control of the medallion at one point. "Their magic becomes your magic. As long as their strength holds, you have the power to grant your own desires, and alter reality in any way you choose."

Dorothy was mesmerized as he removed the medallion and placed it around her neck. "Their strength?"

Wufei nodded. "Yes. It drains a djinn's magic from their very being. If used long enough...a djinn will die."

Dorothy raised a hand and placed it against Wufei's cheek. "Aren't you afraid I'll use it on you?"

He grabbed her hand, driving her to her knees as he crushed it. "For one, I wouldn't recommend even entertaining the thought in your tiny head. For another, this Orix was made for Duo. My Master...wanted to possess him utterly. The carving is exact to the tiniest detail. It took my greatest act of...betrayal to obtain that hair." Dorothy found herself almost quaking with fear as she realized that Wufei had given his brother into slavery, and felt no remorse. "Still we need to have Duo's idol in order for the spell to be activated."

She was crying as Wufei released her. He snorted at her pitiful whimpering. "Come. We will watch Yuy's apartment so we may get Duo's idol."

Dorothy rose without a sound, her good hand clasped about the Orix. Her anger at Wufei faded as she dreamed of the power that was soon to be hers.

Dorothy Catalonia, Queen of the World.

She liked the sound of that...

~*~*~*~

Duo was enjoying a quiet day in the park not far from where Heero had found him, watching as his Master and Relena enjoyed a small picnic beneath a towering oak. With a little bit of magic he could send an army of ants to steal all their food...

There was no need as he saw that the event was coming to an end. Heero kissed the girl on the cheek and bid her goodbye. Relena looked as if she was about to cry. Still, Heero walked away and joined Duo. "Ready to go home?"

Duo didn't even catch the strange tic that had developed near Heero's eye. He also didn't notice that the Japanese boy seemed to be walking faster than usal as if he were escaping someone...

"HEEEEERRRRRROOOOO!!!"

Duo clapped his hands to his ears, praying feverently that his eardrums wouldn't pop. Heero stopped dead in his tracks, one hand coming up to smack himself in the forehead.

"Help me..."

Duo blinked rapidly at Heero's defeated tone. The great Gundam pilot, Self-Destruct Yuy himself, was scared of that terrible howling... Before he could give it a second thought, he was knocked aside by a screeching bundle of blonde that immediately attached itself to Heero's side.

"Hee-chan! Please don't go!!"

With a frustrated growl, Duo materialized a long black object in his hand and pointed it at the girl. The screeching whine ceased abruptly, leaving a very surprised Relena Peacecraft to stare in wonder at a glowing word suspended just in front of her. "MUTE".

Heero pried himself from her gundanium grip, leaving the startled girl to poke at the misty word.

"Thanks, Duo."

"Eh, I was just trying to save my own hearing." With another click of the remote, the glowing word changed to a green "PAUSE". Heero waved a hand in front of the frozen girl, letting a relieved sigh escape.

Duo grabbed his arm. "Let's get while the gettin's good, Yuy. She'll come unpaused in a few minutes."

Heero nodded and allowed himself to be pulled away by the djinn. With a pop, he found himself falling back on to his couch and Duo summoning a tray of tea.

"Ahhh! This wish is a nightmare!" The floral printed cushions met Heero's fist as he beat out his frustrations on the unsuspecting furniture. "She talks about nothing except me, me, me! And in that horrible voice!"

"Hey, that couch didn't do anything to you," Duo said as he passed Heero a cup. The Japanese boy threw himself back against the cushions. "Besides, I told you not to mess with people's emotions."

"I know. I just didn't realize..." He closed his eyes in frustration. He sighed as he felt warm hands on his shoulders, gently kneading the tense muscles. He leaned into the djinn's ministrations, moaning as his whole body relaxed under the experienced fingers.

Heero found himself drifting into random thoughts. _No one had ever been as good to me as Duo. But he has to be. Part of the bargain...or is it?_

The thought startled him out of his relaxed state. He pulled away from the confused djinn, trying to hide his embarrassment. Heero realized that Duo did what he did for him because the other boy had feelings for him. And Heero found himself wanting to return those feelings...

_No! I love Relena. I want only...Relena?_

Duo sighed as he watched the play of emotions across his Master's face. Maybe he had been too forward. "Gomen nasai."

Heero looked up at the words, guilt eating at him as he saw the recalcitrant look in the jewel-like eyes. Duo was doing his best to make Heero's wish a good one; old tales warned of djinn and djinni who often twisted a wish to make their Master miserable. Heero was the one who had made the mistake, not Duo. It was up to him to fix it.

"Don't be, Duo. I should...I should have known better than to play with people's hearts. But..." Heero refused to let go of the hope that the wish could still be worked out. Maybe if he just talked with Relena, straightened things out...they could have a normal life then. "I have to try and work things out with Relena."

Duo nodded somberly, snapping his fingers. The doorbell rang once and Heero glanced gratefully at his djinn before Duo faded into invisibility.

Heero opened the door to admit an annoyingly perky Relena Peacecraft, her eyes glazed with mindless adoration of the pilot before her. 

"Relena. Would you sit down? I'd like to talk to you."

The seriousness of his words didn't even dent her unnatural exuberance. Without thinking, Heero picked up Duo's statue from the table and ran it nervously through his fingers. Relena sat on the couch, looking up at the man she loved.

"Relena...I..." Even as he thought the words, he was suddenly sure that his wish was wrong. It was wrong to force her to love him. Besides, it wasn't really love. All he would have is the same vapid devotion she now gazed at him with.

Before he had a chance to speak, Relena leapt from the couch and pulled Heero down. He barely saved himself from falling; one butt cheek managed to find the cushion. The blonde girl pulled his fingers apart, revealing the djinn carving.

Relena grabbed the black idol, running her slender fingers along the carved body. "Ooh. How beautiful! A gift for me? Oh, Heero!" She lunged forward to hug him.

Heero backpedaled on the couch as he fought to free himself from the girl's clutches. Her face fell as she fell short of hugging him and Heero felt himself softening at the look of tears in her eyes.

He smiled. "Relena, I'm sorry."

It was like he had flipped a switch. The vapid expression once again took over and Relena looked at him with adoring eyes. "You look so handsome when you smile. I wish you would smile more."

Suddenly, Heero felt his cheeks being pulled back into a painful grin and no matter how hard he fought, his lips wouldn't release. Relena attached herself to his chest again, and he tried to pry her off. It was when he felt the obsidian statue pressing into his back that he realized what had happened.

Through his stretched mouth, he fought to make words. "Relena, darling. I need you to do me a tiny favor."

The blonde somehow clutched herself tighter, squeezing his diaphragm painfully. "Anything for you my, Heero!"

He laughed as he struggled to break her iron grip. "I need you to say: 'I wish you would stop smiling now.' Can you do that?"

"Why would I want to do that?" Her voice rose in pitch, reaching annoying from whiny while skipping screeching. "You look good with a smile."

Heero felt the twitch in his eye returning. "Please, dear. " His mind raced as he sought something to offer her that wouldn't embarrass him for eternity. "I'll give you a kiss if you do what I ask."

Suddenly her arms were gone. "You mean it?? A real kiss??"

The Japanese pilot was frantically looking for any means of escape even as he nodded. He forced the words from his tight lips. "That's right. A real kiss."

Relena puckered her lips, hands and statue clasped in front of her. "I wush por wu to stop smie-wing."

Apparently the magic understood her and Heero's face dropped in response. He rubbed his aching cheeks with one hand and tore the magic idol from her grasp with the other. This wish had to come to an end before he killed the innocent girl with his own two hands.

"Duo, I wish for Relena to stop loving me!"

The laughable form on the couch disappeared, puckered lips and all, replaced by a smiling boy in black, lips inches from Heero's own.The ever-present smile returned. "I told you so."

Heero stood up in disgust. "Yeah, yeah. I know."

Duo's humor evaporated at the vehement emotion in Heero's voice. Then suddenly, it was gone, like a spark caught in the wind. Heero's body became rigid and his eyes lost the lively glow they had taken on in the few days Duo had been here.

"Heero?"

Duo's words were brushed aside as Heero stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door hard enough to crack the molding. Duo felt tears of frustration burning in his eyes. 

Why couldn't that boy see that Relena wasn't the one for him? He couldn't make her love him...the disastrous wish had proven that. And she would never love him on her own. Duo had seen into her heart. She cared for Heero; he had saved her life during the war. But she buried the tension she felt around him out of obligation. Heero was engineered to be a killer; Relena was reminded of that every time she saw Heero's serious eyes.

"Hello, brother."

Duo stood quickly from the couch, surprise quickly fading to anger as he realized who was now standing in his living room. "Wufei."

Wufei stepped forward, ebony eyes hooded. A blonde girl smirked beside him. He bent down once he reached the couch, Duo's obsidian idol in his hand. "I'm getting a feeling of deja vu..."

Duo felt his body turn to ice as he realized what he brother was getting at. He lunged forward to grab the statue but Wufei threw it to the blonde girl. She laughed and held it up to the light.

"So beautiful."

She reached down to undo the first couple buttons of her shirt, slowly drawing the medallion from under the cloth. Duo stared in defiance as the corrupted magic of the Orix activated with the proximity of his idol.

Suddenly Dorothy was bathed in a sickly black light, a complete opposite to the light of Duo's magic. Thick tendrils of darkness snaked out to trap Duo, circling his body and forcing their way through his mouth and nose. He fell to his knees as his magic was subjugated by the darkness.

Wufei began to laugh as his brother was once again enslaved. And soon, he would be dead, forced to once again become the thing he had hated most, feared most, and never forgave himself for.

Shinigami.

  


On to Part Six 


	6. Part Six

* * *

Djinni in a Bottle

A Gundam Wing Fan Fiction

By Daemonchan

* * *

**_Part Six_**

Dorothy looked down on the djinn in front of her, gloating in his pain. She smiled as she summoned him forward, his limp body suspended and captive in her grip.

She made a slow circle about his body, reaching out to stroke the pale skin beneath the black silk. Duo shuddered at the touch, not liking the hungry look in her eyes one bit. There was the sound of glass shattering and Duo looked up to see Wufei rummaging through the fridge, throwing things over his shoulder in his hunt, oblivious to his brother's distress.

"You know, Fei, I'd've made your favorite if I'd known you were slummin' around this neck of the globe."

The once-djinn didn't respond. Duo was determined to get the bastard to react if it was the last thing he did. An angry Wufei was a careless Wufei.

Dorothy smiled and placed a finger on Duo's lips. "Shh. Let just think of all the wonderful things I'm going to do to Relena."

Duo scowled. This girl was definitely cracked. He was sure that Wufei had used a bit of magic to push her over the edge; no sanity remained in her pale eyes. "Oh, thinking happy thoughts already, lady? Sorry but you can just kiss my..."

The words were choked off as the magic pressed about him. He fell to the floor, biting the inside of his mouth to keep from crying out. He could hear Wufei's dark laugh join the blonde girl's maniacal twitter.

"Best be nice to the Lady Dorothy, Duo. She's here to finish what Karzec didn't."

Duo went cold at the mention of the sadistic bastard who had nearly killed him, almost three millennia ago. Karzec was a warlord, a bloodthirsty human who wanted to conquer the known world with only a sword and his own bare hands. He had been Wufei's master at first, but when Karzec proposed the idea of the Orix, Wufei had been quick to save his own skin by offering up Duo in his stead. It was Wufei's own stupidity and anger that had ruined Karzec's plans, the djinn killing the human before Duo was dead.

The council of djinn had broken Wufei's idol and scattered the pieces to the far corners of the earth. Now he could no longer grant wishes, nor could he return to the djinn realm. He was trapped on Earth forever. Nearly powerless, all he could do was plot his revenge.

Duo looked up into the cold visage. "Killing me won't make you powers come back, you know. You'll still be trapped here, a half-djinn forever."

Wufei's expression grew colder. "Oh, I know that, brother." He lifted Duo's chin with a forceful hand. "But it will make me feel a hell of a lot better."

~*~*~*~

Heero kicked angrily at the garbage on the sidewalk. He was sorry for leaving Duo behind without an explanation, but after the failed wish...

He had been so sure for so long that he loved Relena above all else in the world, even his own life. He had given everything to make sure that she survived the war, even if he didn't. The magic had helped him realize that it would not be Relena who fell in love with him, but some horrible double, forced to think that he was the man of her dreams.

And then there was Duo.

The djinn had fascinated and infuriated him since he had been released. Heero had felt the ethereal connection between them the minute he had looked into the deep violet eyes. It had returned with a vengeance the night they had danced together; Heero could still feel Duo's warmth in his arms, see the long braid swing in time with the djinn's steps. He knew what he wanted at that moment and it was Duo.

And still he had clung to the illusion that there could still be something between him and Relena.

He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, casting a questioning look to the sky. It wasn't often that the truth was presented to someone, face to face. And this truth had the most gorgeous blue violet eyes...

The Japanese pilot continued his walk, mentally berating himself with each step that took him further from the apartment. He knew he should go back and confess everything to the djinn, but there was still so much he wasn't sure of.

Heero wasn't sure what led him to Quatre's apartment, but he was almost surprised when he found himself knocking on the door and the smiling face of the petit Arabian answering.

"Heero? Are you okay?"

Those words seemed to break something within Heero's heart, to release emotions he hadn't allowed himself to really feel in along time. And all because of the damned djinn...that wonderful djinn...

Heero reassured his friend with a smile. "I have a problem."

~*~*~*~

Dorothy had moved them from Heero's apartment, landing them sloppily in the middle of her screaming pink living room. Duo could hardly stand from the drain on his magic. The girl was wasting him left and right.

And Wufei was loving every agony filled moment of it.

In some ways, Dorothy was more sadistic than Karzec. She had no feel for the magic, no care that she was literally destroying a being in order to gain her ambitions. Karzec had known, and, much like Wufei, taken pleasure from it.

She was talking to Duo, her eyes far away and lost in the mental illusion Wufei had pushed her into. "I want to be Queen of the World, not that horrible Relena. I want her image to be blackened so that no one would ever look to her for peace again."

Duo managed to look almost bored as the insane girl droned on. Personally, if she just wished to have her eyebrows fixed, the djinn was sure that would take care of most of her self-esteem issues.

Dorothy giggled and clapped her hands. "I know. I have the perfect plan!"

With a negligent wave of her hand, she summoned a long tube of blue paper. Duo winced, but forgot the pain quickly as she unrolled it. They were the specifications for a machine of sorts...a really, BIG machine.

"These are the plans for a Gundam that was never built. It was to have been stronger than the others. But... the war was over before it was ever born." She touched the paper almost lovingly. "This. This will be the new form of my Shinigami."

That caught Duo's attention. That was the name Karzec had given him when he forced the djinn to create inhuman creatures to kill his enemies, to ravage their dead bodies. Unfortunately, the legend still lived on, told to children by their parents to get them to behave. Duo was hoping that people would have forgotten about it by now.

Duo hurried to distract her from her plan. "How about a nice dragon instead? They're nearly invulnerable and hell, they can breathe fire..."

Suddenly Duo found himself lifted from the floor by a very insane girl. Dorothy's eyes flashed with madness, making Duo sorry that he had ever opened his mouth.

"The Gundams must be ruined as well." Her voice was an eerie whisper but was quickly gaining in volume. "All that they stand for must be destroyed! You _will_ create my Gundam Deathscythe. You _will_ use it to kill Relena Peacecraft and destroy any hope the people invested in the horrible machines!"

She dropped the djinn unceremoniously, smiling as he slumped on the floor. "I wish it."

Duo couldn't help but scream as the magic was torn from him, black and foul. The Orix glowed with an unholy light and Dorothy could see a huge shadow growing to cover her window. The magic dissipated and Duo lay still, his breathing harsh. The blonde girl stepped over him, and rushed to the window.

A pair of acid green eyes greeted her, the humanoid mecha kneeling in the street. A deactivated thermal weapon leaned into its shoulder and Dorothy knew it would be devastating when she turned this machine loose on the world.

Wufei ignored the blonde as she began to jump with happiness, instead kneeling next to his half conscious brother. "It comes again, Duo. The Shinigami."

Duo's voice was a tired whisper. "She will use you too. Just like Karzec..."

Wufei interrupted him with a backhanded slap. "Tried to use me. But I took care of that...didn't I, brother? And ended up saving your miserable life in the process." He stood again, straightening his white shirt. "A mistake, I assure you, and one I will not make again."

~*~*~*~

Heero was leaving Quatre's apartment when he heard the phone ring. For some reason, he felt the urge to stay until the Arabian had answered it.

"Hello. Trowa? What? A Gundam? At Relena's? No. We'll be right there!"

Quatre raced back to the door. "There's a strange Gundam attacking Relena's manor house."

Together they took off to Quatre's car. They didn't speak as they raced toward Relena's, knowing there was nothing they could really do. They had destroyed their own Gundams at the end of the war in compliance with Relena's no weapons policy.

Someone had built another Gundam then. Relena's defenses included low-grade mobile suits but they wouldn't last a minute with a functional Gundam.

They saw the dark clouds of oily black smoke when they were still miles from their destination. It was a familiar and unwelcome sight. It was the burning of mecha that made smoke like that.

The car skidded to a stop beyond the shattered outer wall of the manor. The remains of mobile suits littered the once beautiful lawn. They gasped in wonder as they watched a huge silver and black Gundam making its way towards the fragile house, a massive thermal scythe poised to sweep through the unresisting wood and concrete.

Heero was out of the car and running before Quatre could say anything, his long legs carrying him around the debris and up the hill. He hurried around to the side of the house opposite the Gundam, which was taking a blessedly long time to climb the sloping hill. He broke one of the back windows with a solid kick and climbed in.

He had chosen well. He was in the massive kitchen, which had the only access to the secret safehouse hidden beneath the house. Relena would be there. She wouldn't be protected from a Gundam attack.

He threw open the huge walk-in pantry, pulling away the shelves until the hidden door was revealed. He opened it, only to be greeted by the business end of a rifle, and a very determined and terrified Relena Peacecraft.

"Oh, Heero! I knew you'd come!"

She fell out into his arms, but her relief was short lived as the house shuddered and groaned. Suddenly, a voice sounded from the Gundam outside.

"Dear Relena, do come out peacefully. I'd hate for you to die before I get the chance to kill you."

Heero barely recognized the voice as Relena's classmate, Dorothy Catalonia. Where she had gotten her hands on a Gundam. Suddenly another voice joined Dorothy's.

"Heero, stop her, please!"

Christ, that was Duo. Duo was piloting the Gundam!

"C'mon, Relena. We'd better do as she says."

Relena stared at him as if he'd grown another arm but complied as he himself headed for the front door. They walked out onto the lawn, arms raised in surrender. The Gundam knelt, as if waiting for someone. Fortunately, that someone didn't take long to reveal themselves.

Heero saw a tall blonde girl standing next to the massive foot of the Gundam, a dark haired boy in white next to her. He nearly gasped as he saw Duo kneeling before them, paler than before. His dark silks were torn and his hair was slowly tumbling from its braid. Before he could blink, all three were suddenly just in front of him, close enough to touch. Duo whimpered in pain, and the dark boy kicked him to the ground.

Heero held himself in check. Strangling the boy wouldn't get anything done.

Wufei smiled as he watched Heero tremble with barely contained anger. "I see that you know my brother, Duo. I'm Wufei Chang." He gestured to the girl next to him. "Dorothy Catalonia, Queen of the World."

Relena snorted. Heero shared her opinion of the girl. Her eyebrows alone should have been basis for commitment to a funny farm. Still, the Japanese pilot was wary. Perhaps she was Wufei's Master. They were both dangerous either way.

Dorothy giggled as she looked at the damage she had done to the house. She reached up to grasp a medallion around her neck. "Duo, let's make this place a little more presentable, shall we? Something suitable for a Queen."

Heero leapt back in shock as Duo's body began to glow with a sickly black light, obviously the corrupted form of his wish magic. The djinn shook with terrible pain, the cloud growing quickly. It surrounded the house and suddenly a huge castle stood in its place. They were transported inside, Dorothy, Wufei and Duo all on a raised dais before a throne. Heero and Relena were in chains at the foot of the stairs.

Wufei groaned as he looked about the chamber. "Pink! Why is it always pink with you?"

  


On to Part Seven 


	7. Part Seven

* * *

Djinni in a Bottle

A Gundam Wing Fan Fiction

By Daemonchan

* * *

**_Part Seven_**

Heero glowered up at the Aisian djinn, determined that he would be the first to die if the Japanese ever got out of his chains. Dorothy would be a quick second.

Duo was panting as he fought to bring himself to a standing position. His normally pale skin was now a sickly shade of gray and his silk clothes clung to his body with sweat. Still, his eyes burned with a determination much like Heero's. He refused to be a slave again; he had been serving Man for millenia and he would be damned if anyone ever used him like Karzec ever again.

Thoughts of his one-time Master fueled him further. Heero had asked why Duo chose to wear black; his rememberance of everyone he had killed, everything he had destroyed as the Shinigami.

Dorothy was reclined comfortably in her throne, Wufei standing impatiently at her side. She wasn't doing anything, just humming to herself, lost in the insane fantasy Wufei had created for her. The least she could do was torture Relena a little, make her scream or something. Everyone was getting kind of bored just standing in the middle of the pink castle, waiting for the crazy blonde to make up her mind.

"Lady Dorothy...Wouldn't you like to make your wish come true now? I'm sure Duo has enough power left to carry it out."

His words broke through to what was left of Dorothy's mind. "You're right, Wufei. Duo!"

The djinn didn't have time to react as his body rose from the floor and floated right up to Dorothy's waiting hands. His body felt like it was burning from the inside out, his magic being ripped from his very soul. Heero jerked forward against his chains as she began to caress Duo's chest. Duo winced.

"You know, Dorothy, those eyebrows of yours..."

"Duo!" Heero screamed as the djinn was slammed into the stone walls, his lips shiny with blood. Duo was nearly unconcious from the pain. His fingertips had gone numb and his heart beat loudly in his ears. A lassitude was creeping through his limbs and he wanted nothing more than to sleep for a couple centuries. It was worse than anything Karzec had done. That sadist had kept Duo healthy, knowing that the magic lasted only as long as the djinn did. Dorothy had no such understanding, and no need for the power after she accomplished her goals.

Wufei's dark laughter echoed about the huge chamber. "Well now, that'll teach you to be such a smartass, Maxwell."

"Dorothy."

It was Relena's voice that carried to the dais. Dorothy looked at the captive girl as if she had not noticed her before.

"Ah, the Queen of the World wishes to speak. Well now."

She stalked down the stairs until she stood directly in front of Relena. Relena met her mad gaze with one of anger. She was unprepared for the slap that rocked her head back and drove her to the pink carpet. Heero dove in front of her prone body, blocking Dorothy's advance.

"Ahh, the knight in shining armor. I guess we'll have to see to you as well." She gestured over her shoulder. "Shinigami."

Suddenly, Heero's chains fell away with a clash of steel. Duo appeared at Dorothy's side, standing at unnatural attention. His violet eyes were empty as they stared straight ahead. His stained clothing had been replaced by a loose black shirt and breeches. Heero could sense the raw power that emanated from his form, power that was slowly killing the djinn while making him stonger and faster than the human boy before him.

Dorothy laid a lazy arm across Duo's shoulder, her fingers playing in the thick brown braid. "Would you believe that this creature here was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people? He killed the stong and the weak, men and women...children as well. I have his soul, his power. He is mine."

Heero lunged at the girl only to be knocked back by an incredible blow from Duo's arm. The Japanese pilot grasped his midsection, sure that his ribs had been cracked. He ignored the pain and stood, drawing strength from his days as the Perfect Soldier.

Dorothy had materialized herself and Relena back on the dais where Wufei now occupied the throne. He was smiling and cheering on the zombie that his brother had become. The form of Shinigami took the most out of Duo, a degenerative cycle that would kill him long before Heero had a chance to.

Duo and Heero circled each other, looking for an opportunity to strike. Heero scored a blow to Duo's arm, nearly breaking his own in the process. The djinn shook it off and swept Heero's legs out from under him. Heero hit the gray stone and rolled away, desperately trying to think of a way to gain the upper hand.

"Duo? Duo, please, you have to fight this!"

The words were answered with a frighteningly empty stare and another kick. Heero dodged and returned with a solid punch to Duo's jaw. The djinn was stunned for a moment and the Japanese pilot nearly smiled when he saw a glimmer of intelligence in the violet eyes of his opponent.

_That's it! Fight it!_

"C'mon, Duo! Are you going to let that ugly bitch control you? Are you going to let your brother get away with this?"

That got a response. Anger replaced the deadness and Duo blinked as he fought to come back to himself. "Heero? You..." He was losing to the magic. "Her medallion...get the...Orix..."

Heero felt tears burning in his eyes as Duo lost to the Shinigami. He could see the djinn rapidly tiring, his super strength and speed were diminishing with each move. He rushed to Duo's side as the djinn collapsed to his knees, his breathing shallow.

"Well, now the fun is almost over."

Heero stared up at Wufei, leaving Duo on the carpet. He began to walk purposefully towards the throne, stopped at the stairs by an invisible wall of magic. Wufei rose from the throne, returning the cobalt glare with a sadistic smile.

"Lady Dorothy." He spoke to the girl over his shoulder. "You had best make your final wish. Duo will be gone soon."

The blonde girl looked down at Relena with hungry eyes. "Yes. The death of Relena Peacecraft."

Her movement caused something to flash at her throat. Heero looked carefully, realizing that a gold medallion hung at her throat. A sudden idea struck Heero as he heard the whispered words, Duo's costly advice finally making sense.

"Why?"

The question took both Dorothy and Wufei by surprise. The once djinn's eyes narrowed dangerously as he began to suspect Heero's intent but Dorothy began to look thoughtful.

"So I can be Queen of the World."

Heero snorted derisively. "That's just a title. Relena is more than that."

The girl's gray eyebrows drew together in confusion. Her insanity was trying to cope with the words, which were starting to make entirely too much sense.

She smiled as she threw out her next attack. "She is nothing. Just an upstart girl who rules what the Gundams fought for. She takes credit for the pain you suffered, for the blood you spilled."

Her logic struck a chord. Heero had often thought the very same, but had come to understand that that was the difference between himself and Relena. He would kill for peace while Relena kept that peace, something the Japanese pilot could not do.

"That is what she is for. She holds the hope I fight for. She is responsible for an entire world."

Dorothy stood in anger, her hand reaching down to grab Relena's hair. To her credit, Relena did not cry out, but kept her eyes on Heero, suddenly realizing his plan.

"Well, she won't have to worry about that when she's dead, will she?"

Heero pressed against Wufei's barrier, noticing that the djinn had conveniently backed away until he was nearly behind the carved throne. "The world will remember her. They will mourn her, carry on her dreams. Killing her will merely make a martyr."

Dorothy let go of Relena. Her eyes were defeated as she realized the truth of his words. Heero saw his chance.

He looked at Relena and then at the necklace. Relena nodded slowly and get to her knees. "Now!"

Relena reached up and tore at the medallion, the chain breaking. Before Dorothy could react, Relena threw it to Heero. Wufei roared in anger as he watched the scene unfold before him, disappearing in a flash of smoke. He reappeared with one hand locked on Heero's throat, his eyes glowing red.

"Not this time, Yuy! My brother will not be saved this time!"

Heero choked as the hand on his neck tightened. He gripped the Orix tighter, praying that the magic would hear his silent plea.

_I wish for the Orix to have no power over Duo!_

The magic flared in Heero's hand and Wufei screamed. He disappeared again as he realized that he had lost. The Japanese pilot fell to the floor and gasped for air, his hand burning as the Orix began to destroy itself.

Through his haze of pain, he recognized Duo's screams. Heero turned to where the boy he loved writhed in agony, angry streams of black magic flowing from his mouth and nose.

"Heero!"

At Relena's cry, Heero realized that the reality of the castle was beginning to fade away, the gray stone and pink tapestries fading into smoke. Soon nothing but the ruined interior to Relena's house remained. Relena rushed to a window.

"The Gundam is gone!"

Heero rushed to Duo's side, turning the boy gently until the dark head rested in his lap. Duo moaned and Heero's heart skipped a beat. He was still alive.

"Duo? Daijoubu ka?"

The voice that answered him was weak, but definitely Duo. "Nope. I'm dead."

The djinn smiled and opened his eyes. He was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by Heero's tear filled blues. The smiled faded as he remembered what had happened. Heero had used his final wish. Duo would be trapped in his idol for another small eternity until his next Master came along.

Heero frowned as he saw Duo's face fall. "What is it?"

"You used your last wish. It's time for me to go."

Heero felt a stab of fear. "No. You can't go. I...Aishiteru."

Duo reached up to brush away the tears that had begun to spill down the Japanese boy's cheeks. "Aishiteru."

"Here. I think this is yours."

Heero stared up in surprise as Relena held out her hand, the obsidian carving of Duo resting in her palm. Her eyes were filled with sympathetic tears and Heero realized that she had heard the exchange.

"I wish you two could be together."

_Granted._

Heero was shocked as Duo disappeared in a flash of light. Relena squeaked in surprise as the idol went as well. He looked around and sighed when he realized that the djinn was gone.

"Hello? Is anybody in here?"

Heero looked up to see Quatre standing on the edge of the wreckage, his face dusty. Relena's security force followed close behind, working their way through the charred wood and plaster. Quatre knelt with Heero while the security handled Dorothy, who was still standing in shock after the loss of the Orix. He checked his friend over for injuries. Nothing.

"I'm going home, Quatre. I'll see you later."

Without waiting for a response, Heero left them standing there, staring at his retreating form. Relena waved goodbye, smiling as if she knew something.

"Tell him thank you for me, Heero."

~*~*~*~

Heero sighed as he realized that his apartment had gone back to normal, the walls back to their original stark white. He threw himself onto the couch, choking back the urge to cry.

"You know, it certainly took you long enough to get back here. Are you getting out of shape?"

Heero bolted from his seat in surprise. Duo stood in the hall, a lopsided grin on his face. He looked different...more human even. His skin had become pink instead of the pale white, but his chestnut braid had stayed the same. He wore jeans and a red shirt that opened to reveal his muscular chest. Heero was speechless.

"Hn. Nice to see you too."

Duo's clever remarks were choked off as Heero's arms surrounded him. He leaned into the embrace, smiling as he realized that Heero was crying.

"I thought...I thought you'd gone back into the idol."

Duo smiled and put his hands on Heero's cheeks. "Nah. The Queen of the World needs to watch what she says around me..."

With that he kissed Heero deeply, his centuries of loneliness melting away in the embrace of the perfect boy. Heero smiled.

"All I've ever wished for. Aishiteru, Duo."

Duo rolled his eyes. "God, please don't ever say that word ever again."

"Nani?"

"I swear if I hear the word 'wish' one more time, I'll scream..."

  


~*Owari*~

  


**This story has gotten overwhelming response! Thank you to everyone who kept reading this, even those who have been bugging me to finish since July! But I would like to apologize about making Wufei such a horrible person. He just fit my needs well. However, you'll be happy to know that Dorothy Catalonia is now teaching crafts as a resident at the local sanitarium.** 


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